Monthly Archive

Two weeks ago I wrote about my Annual Springtime Health Kick. And yes, all is well on the Health Kick front. Lots of trips to the gym, fresh air and lots of experiments. Experiments including Almond Milk and copious amounts of organic, triple washed baby spinach. I’m talking about that tastiest of monsters, the Green Monster, which even my Husband has requested a few times in the last couple of weeks. Love the Monster. Just bought enough Spinach and Almond Milk to get me through the next week at Wegmans yesterday, because believe me, those ingredients go fast!

I was feeling confident and daring because of the great success of the GM experiment. I’ve been reading a great Health Blog, Oh She Glows, and discovered Vegan Overnight Oats. I just had to try them. Ingredients include:

1/3 cup regular oats

3/4 cup almond milk

2 tablespoons chia seeds

1 tiny ripe banana, peeled and smashed

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

OK, I enjoy oats, love almond milk, bananas, but had never encountered a chia seed unless it was helping Homer grow a full head of hair. I did some research on them and decided Chia was not going to hurt me. (Learn more about this superfood here.)

So, to prepare the Overnight Oats combine the above ingredients into a bowl. It may or may not look something like this:

I put it in the fridge overnight. In the morning the ‘Oh She Glows’ blog instructs that you add 2 tablespoons Nut Butter, so I added a bit from this little packet. The almond butter I found at store was almost $10 and that’s too much for a kitchen experiment.

This morning, I pulled the congealed mixture out of the fridge and nudged it with my spoon. A little scary. I had to judge. It looked pretty gross.

I tried it. Um, edible. The weird chia that attached to the bananas and almond milk had the consistency of Bubble Tea. The almond butter helped A LOT, but I didn’t add too much since it is ultra high in calories. In the end, I ate it. It was pretty nasty unless I captured some of the Almond Butter taste. Cold. Smushy. My cereal bowl has seen better days.

However, I have to say I ate this meal at 7:30 and wasn’t hungry at all until 12:30. I guess that means something. Maybe I wasn’t hungry because I was grossed out, or maybe it was the Chia …

I’m not quite ready to give up on morning oat experiments. I’m a huge oatmeal fan, and I’d like to give the Chia Seeds another chance … but you’ve got my recommendation. Beware of the Vegan Overnight Oats!

Many people are of the mindset that Google is taking over the world. I am a big fan of Google. From Gmail to Chrome, to Google Docs, Maps and obviously Search, Google is king. If Google takes over the world, I believe it would be a very nicely optimized and organized shiny happy world to live in.

I’m here to inform you, that it is NOT Google, but Facebook, who is taking over the world. News flash: people don’t use Facebook because they like Facebook. Facebook is a means to an end. People have egos. People are nosy, and they log onto Facebook to fulfill needs. (You know these needs, I don’t have to explain.) If MySpace (or Friendster?) had a cleaner UI, and launched in 2008, we would be talking about MySpace right now. A social media profile site is a fly by night romance. Facebook knows this, and they don’t want the honeymoon to end. Ever. They want more and they want it now. Facebook’s aggressive plans to spread itself across the web will only alienate users. It will scare them away.

I believe Facebook is extending its reach too far, too fast.

Do you like the idea of connecting with your friends and colleagues in a comfortable online environment? Yes. Do you like the ease in which you can keep in touch, plan events and post pictures? Of course. Are you cool with the fact that the new Facebook changes allow anyone to see your interests, current city and hometown — even if your profile is set to Private? Um, No thanks! (OK, the last point may or may not be true, but it is rumored on Consumerist.)

This is just the beginning. Users are too smart to live like this. My prediction: since it is the content on Facebook that users show a loyalty towards — not the brand, a new star will be born. A mobile profile site, potentially one built exclusively on Apple products, will dominate.

That’s my prediction. Am I deleting my Facebook profile? Not yet. Am I naive enough to think that Google is playing games? Of course, they are. I understand that all of my info is being used for the advancement of advertisers, and I’m OK with that. Crunch my data. See if I care.

My blog is called ‘The Technologist’s Wife.’ Yet, I never actually remark on Tech. I guess I’m not required to seeing how a) this is my blog and b) my husband is the implied Technologist here. This is not exactly the case. When naming this blog, I wanted to play off of the movie titles ‘The Astronaut’s Wife‘ and ‘The Time Traveler’s Wife.’ (Two movies I have yet to see.) I also like the word Technologist, and when I started the blog I thought I’d be commenting on tech trends more often than I actually do … /justification rant.

I don’t own an iPhone. I want one. I’ll get Husband’s when this baby is released. This phone looks mighty sexy. I’m especially a fan of the secondary rear camera with a camera flash/larger lens. Also, goodbye rounded edges — this phone looks flat, or should I say, sleek.

My real excitement surrounding the supposed features of this phone are based on the way it was allegedly found on the floor of a bar in San Jose, (I’m also hearing Redwood, CA.) This makes me laugh. Someone should have come upon it in a giant fluorescent Easter egg a few weeks ago, or maybe it should have erupted out of The Volcano. Found on the floor of a bar? That’s just silly. This iPhone deserves a better entrance into the hearts and minds of techies than … found on the floor of a bar. Just think if someone had stepped on it? I smell a conspiracy.

Last night Husband and I decided to spend the night on our boat. We were expecting lows in the 40s, and perhaps a bit of wind, but we were willing to rough it. We ordered pizza from a little hole in the wall place that is quickly becoming a favorite, picked up a board game and ‘Pirate Radio.’

The highlight of the night was our textbook game of Sorry. We opened the brand new box and reread the directions. I admired the adorable little Sorry pieces. So shiny. Such vibrant colors.

Sorry seems as though it might go on for days at the onset of game play. You get so close to making it “home” and then all of a sudden — SORRY. Back to the beginning. Actually, Sorry sounds like quite a metaphor for life. Sometimes you catch a break, sometimes you’re sent back to start. To rethink and try your luck again, but no matter what, you’re always trying to reach your Safety Zone and to return home.

Finally, Husband and I were about to wrap up the game and found ourselves in a fast-paced, card flipping, shiny pawn moving race! Both of our pieces arrived in the Safety Zone and we both teetered on the last space before Home. We kept turning card after card for a few rounds. Back and forth. Easily amused of not, it was such an unpredictable and exciting game — almost TOO unpredictable and exciting for a simple game of Sorry. Suddenly, I turned over the winning card, and joyfully moved my piece into Home.

Cool site alert. Came across Polyvore earlier today … the site uses a virtual styling tool to allow people to mix and match products from any online store to create their own fashion collections. A bit of a time waster, but really fun, creative and oddly relaxing. I threw this visual of my personal style together in a little under 20 minutes:

Check out the site, and have some fun! Post your creations on your blog and leave a comment so I can take a look.

This morning I woke up and opened our back door. Husband mowed the lawn last night and did a fantastic job. I couldn’t help but snap a picture of his good work.

Then, as promised in yesterday’s post, I decided to try the Green Monster!

I had all of my ingredients in order. While I was excited about the luscious almond milk, blueberries and the banana … there was SO much spinach.

Just about to blend everything together. Had to get one more look …

And suddenly the beverage transformed, right before my eyes …

Looks a little blue because of the blueberries.

Well, I am happy to say that I am hooked on the Green Monster. I’m already looking forward to trying different versions, adding ingredients like pumpkin. I’ve been obsessed with Kashi Go Lean’s Berry Crumble cereal for the better part of 3 months, and I think between the GM and my Fage Honey Greek Yogurt, I’ve found my ideal breakfast for awhile. So creamy. So green. Doesn’t hurt that green is my favorite color, but seriously, the drink is amazing.

To round off my “Green” day, I went to see the movie ‘Greenburg.’ Very interesting. Directed/written by Noah Baumbach who can be credited with the wonderful movie, ‘The Squid and the Whale,’ ‘Greenburg” is a much different movie, but thoughtful character development and offbeat dialogue make it worth watching. If you don’t mind awkward movies with random storylines and uncomfortable moments, this indie film is for you. I really enjoyed it, and I loved seeing it in one of my favorite local movie theatres, a favorite from college, Cinema Arts in Fairfax, VA. Saw a few promising previews, including ‘The Joneses,’ which looks very smart.

So, tell me. Have any of you tried the Green Monster before, and have I inspired you to gather up the ingredients and give it a try? You won’t regret it.

Breathing in the fresh air over the weekend made me feel fantastic. Revitalized. I felt refreshed, sun-kissed and free.

I often find myself phasing into healthy mode during Spring/Summer. Fresh fruit. Salads. And, feel I often get a boost of energy, perfect for summer evening walks or a few extra minutes at the gym. Today, I started my impromptu Spring Health Kick. Here’s what happened:

Gym

I tried a new gym in the area, and loved it! It had a very family friendly feel, so I could really concentrate on my workout. The machines were super fancy, with TVs and radios, which I realize is probably standard by now, but my daily workout consists of an above average elliptical with no bells or whistles. I tuned into some E News celeb trash which consisted of learning about Justin Bieber’s hair, Fergie’s high school love life and some other non event headlines that I’ve since blocked out.

Salad Bar

Naturally, after the gym I was hungry. I met my mom and we had a nice lunch at an establishment that offers one of my favorite food activities. The mystical salad bar. I enjoy a very leafy, very well thought out salad bar. Now, the thing with me and salad bars — I go slow, and I love to pile it on. Peppers. Edamame. Broccoli. Lots of leafy green goodness everywhere. I enjoy going through the salad bar line by myself, so I can revel in each colorful, nutritious option that may (or may not) grace my salad plate. I require full concentration and will time my journey to the salad bar accordingly, to achieve the desired salad bar experience. I was not so lucky today. As soon as I made an attempt to grab some (OK, a heaping mound) of baby spinach, at least 3 people lined up behind me! (How dare they, right?) I couldn’t dawdle. I had to make quick choices. I simply had to grab the tongs and forget about any possible technique. Yes, a crouton fell on the floor. Yes, I had to return to the salad bar later for more edamame. I am a salad bar lurker, and today, I couldn’t tarry.

Green Monster

I read a lot of food blogs, and I keep seeing a certain health drink pop up: The Green Monster. I would label myself an adventurous eater. I’ve eaten SPICY food off of a banana leaf, consumed a beverage with a raw oyster, beer and cocktail sauce in it, (and liked it), and was a vegetarian for 4 years. Therefore, I am unafraid of the following: tofu, milk from non-cow sources, beans, eggplant, nuts or oddly shaped fruit.

Tomorrow, I am going to drink this version of a Green Monster:

1 Cup Ice

2-3 Handfuls of Baby Spinach

1 Cup Almond Vanilla Milk

1 Banana

handful of blueberries

We shall see. And, you can bet that I’m going to submit my Green Monster experience to the Official Green Monster Blog, and post my review here.

Husband and I are starting our summer early. We bought a boat last fall and this is the first weekend we’ve really taken it out. There is a lot to learn. How to dock the boat. How to drive the boat. How to use the anchor. How to maneuver with other boats out on the water. How to EVERYTHING.

We spent today getting the boat ready for the season, and set out around noon. My favorite part of the afternoon was taking a break in Belmont Bay with a gorgeous view of the mini beaches along Mason Neck State Park.

We anchored and enjoyed the sun, listened to music, excited to be on the water on such a gorgeous day. When we pulled up the anchor, I shrieked in delight as a cute brown snail decided to snuggle up to our boat. I decided then and there that “if a snail attaches itself to your anchor while you’re out on the water, it is a sign of good luck.” Why not?

From the internet: “The shape of the snail’s shell associated it with the symbolism of the spiral, the whirlwind, the labyrinth, coiled snakes, winding paths, the orbits of heavenly bodies, the ram’s horn, and underground caverns. Spirals are symbols of continuity, evolution, devolution, involution, expansion, contraction, cycles, mysteries, and changes which are the natural result of all that has gone before. Beneficial spirals twirl to the right while destructive ones twirl to the left. Treasures, the self, wisdom, or Minotaurs, other beasts, and nightmares lie at the center of spirals.”

The snail definitely made my day, and the boating was insanely wonderful, too.

While the onions are cooking, preheat a medium non-stick skillet over medium-high heat with the remaining 2 T oil. In a shallow dish, combine the juice of 1 lime, honey, chili powder, salt and pepper. Add the salmon fillets to the lime-honey mixture and toss to coat thoroughly. Add the seasoned salmon to the hot skillet and cook until just cooked through, 3-4 mins on each side.

To the make salad, add the bell peppers and corn kernels to the onion mixture and cook for 1 min. Add the chicken stock and continue to cook for another 2 minutes. Add the black beans and cook until the beans are just heated through. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the juice of the second lime, the cilantro and spinach. Toss to wilt the spinach and then taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve the salmon on the warm salad.

I’m a huge Miyazaki fan, so I was thrilled this week when I had the chance to watch his latest animated creation Ponyo! Visually stunning and a very adorable story. Plus, Tina Fey and Cate Blanchett are superb as the voice actors of Lisa and Granmammare.

Found a few interesting blogs that I want to highlight this week.

This Week for Dinner helped me figure out what to bring to a friend’s Easter Egg Hunt and Patio party. (Hello, Cucumber Sandwiches!) So light and delicious for an afternoon engagement. Also, pretty much helped me figure out what to have for dinner next week. Really cool blog. Following the author on Twitter, too. @janemaynard

Finally, I was googling a string of my favorite interests just for the random fun of it, and I came across Crazy Virgo. Haven’t read much of the blog yet, but glancing over the content I found that she is both a Gwyneth Paltrow fan,a Virgo (obviously) and a serial over-analyzer, so it sounds like we have a lot in common.

Oh, and I also came across Flavors.me (here is a TechCrunch article about it). It is a fun site that pulls together all of the many flavors (of you!) that are painted across the internet. It is pretty cute, I’m linking to it from my Twitter profile at the moment. Plus, I love my repulsive puke green background color.